The disclosed subject matter is a method and system for marketing a client's product for an alternative purpose. The information about the alternative purpose of the product is collected and input into an automated system. The method and system then informs third parties about the client's product along with suggested alternative uses.
Once a product is released to the market, it invariable becomes associated only with the initial purpose. As time passes, new applications for existing products are discovered. An example could be a medication that was meant to fight cancer could have unexpected anti-viral properties.
When a new use for an old product is discovered, a research period follows where others use the product to see if the results can be duplicated. Clients cannot necessarily claim the product will provide specific results, but suggestions are allowable. Clients are interested in seeing if these new properties could make their product more profitable.
In order to make third parties purchase the product for an alternative purpose, the client needs to inform the third party not only of what the alternate purpose is, but also they need to persuade them to use the product. This leads to a tension. If the advertisement is too brief, then it might not be persuasive. If the advertisement is too detailed, then it could become cost prohibitive.
A common method for targeted advertisement involves the use of direct mailings. The client takes a list of third parties and sends them an advertisement for a product. These advertisements range from simple cards alerting the customer to the product's existence to complete information packages on the product. The more complex the written material, the more expensive the advertisement.
Another form of targeted advertisement comes from an in person visit by a client's representative. This allows one-on-one personal interaction between the third party and the client. Usually, restrictions on the time of both parties are involved, making these visits brief. A client's representative might have an entire catalogue of products to tell the third party about, but only have time to give his presentation on one or two high profile products.
As these two forms of targeted advertisement demonstrate, clients have a difficult time giving all the relevant information on the product to third parties in a cost effective manner. Both forms have serious restrictions, either by quality of information relayed or amount of time available. There exists a need to follow up advertisement for use at the third party's convenience that can persuasively communicate the need to purchase the product.
Communication between the client and the third party helps to address this inefficiency of advertisement. Obstacles to communication include identifying the third parties and establishing a mechanism to communicate between the client and the third party. This presents a difficulty without a preexisting relationship between the client and the third party. Without some form of initial contact, advertisement is not possible.
Telephone calls offer a considerable advantage to other modes of communication such as direct mail or in person solicitation. Use of the telephone does offer some drawbacks. Telephone calls take a large staff to make the number of calls necessary to contact all the third parties. Companies could have employees make these calls, but those employees could perform other needed duties. The client could contract the responsibility to call centers, but that becomes expensive. This commitment of resources makes telephone calls prohibitive for all but large companies to make follow up calls. Even large companies might find it economical to use telephone calls only on high value items.
The disclosed subject matter involves marketing a client's product for alternative purposes to third parties. The client defines the information to communicate to the third parties. Said information is entered into an automated system which third parties are able to contact at their discretion. When the third party contacts the system, the system relays the advertisement to the third party.